Construction Controller · $1M–$20M Contractors

Your books are clean.
But are your jobs
actually making money?

Your bookkeeper records what happened. Your CPA files last year's taxes. Nobody is watching your job margins, WIP, and cash position right now — that's the gap a controller fills. We close it every month — so you always know exactly where you stand before it's too late.

  • 📉Jobs that looked profitable finish in the red
  • 💸Revenue is up but cash is always tight
  • 📋WIP schedule isn't bank or surety ready
  • 🔍You're making big decisions without real numbers
Book a Free Consultation → See How It Works

No contract  ·  Month-to-month  ·  Construction-only  ·  Direct access to Brian

Builder Ledger — May 2026
Live
Office Build-Out Ph.2✓ On Track
Est. Profit+$221K · 18.4%
Warehouse Renovation⚠ Watch
Est. Profit$52K · 6.2% ↓
Retail TI⛔ At Risk
Est. Profit-$8K · losing money
Would you catch this before it's too late?
Builder Ledger — Monthly Report
May 2026
Active Jobs — Margin Status
Office Build-Out Ph.2✓ On Track
Contract$1,200,000
Est. Profit+$221K · 18.4%
Warehouse Renovation⚠ Watch
Contract$840,000
Est. Profit$52K · 6.2% ↓
Retail Tenant Improvement⛔ At Risk
Contract$380,000
Est. Profit-$8K · -2.1% loss
$90K
Under-billed
3
Need Attention
12wk
Cash Visible
Would you catch this before it's too late?
✔$1B+ Construction Revenue Managed
✔10+ Years Construction Controller
✔Job Costing & WIP Specialist
✔Month-to-Month · No Lock-In
Works with your software
ProcoreSage 100Sage 300 PlexxisQuickBooksFoundationViewpoint
The Gap No One Fills

Your bookkeeper records history.
Who's protecting your future?

📒

The Bookkeeper Gap

Your bookkeeper posts transactions and keeps records clean. But they're not analyzing whether jobs are actually profitable or flagging when a job starts slipping. That's not their role — it's ours.

📅

The CPA Gap

Your CPA looks at last year's numbers to file taxes. By the time they see a problem it's already happened — and you've already paid for it. They're not reviewing WIP or watching margin fade mid-job.

🎯

The Controller Layer

A controller connects the field to the financials in real time — job by job, month by month. You find out while there's still time to act. Not after the job closes. Not after the money is gone. While you can still do something about it.

What Contractors Say

Real words. No polish.

"Brian called me two months in and said we were going to lose $40K on that job if nothing changed. Adjusted the crew, closed it out fine. I never would've caught it."

MT
M. Torres, Owner
Mechanical Sub · Phoenix, AZ · $6M

"Revenue was up and I was still sweating payroll every two weeks. Turns out we had a billing gap on two jobs. Fixed it week three. Cash flow completely turned around."

RC
R. Callahan, President
General Contractor · Dallas, TX · $14M

"Found out our TI work was averaging 4% margin. Half what we made on ground-up. Stopped chasing that work. Margin went up without doing more volume. Nobody ever showed me that before."

DK
D. Kim, Owner
Specialty Contractor · Denver, CO · $9M
What We Actually Do

The difference between
recording and controlling

Your bookkeeper records what happened. Your CPA looks backward. A controller is the layer between them — watching every active job in real time, every month, while there's still time to act.

TaskBookkeeperBuilder Ledger
Record daily transactions✔—
Monthly job profitability—✔
WIP schedule reconciliation—✔
12-week cash flow forecast—✔
Margin fade alerts—✔
Over/under billing detection—✔
Monthly strategy call—✔
Every month you get five things.
→ Job profitability on every active job
→ WIP schedule — bank and surety ready
→ 12-week cash flow forecast
→ Margin and billing alerts
→ A 45–60 min call to go through it all
Year 1 vs. full-time hire Save $150K–$175K
Who You're Working With

I've sat in the seat
you're trying to fill.

For over a decade, I was the construction controller — not an advisor watching from the outside, but the person inside the books, on the phone with the surety, reviewing the WIP with the banker, and calling the owner when a job started going sideways mid-project.

I know what a PM does to a budget when he's behind schedule. I know what a sub looks like on paper when he's 18% over and nobody's flagged it yet. I've been in the room when a contractor finds out — three weeks before close — that a job they thought was profitable is going to lose money. That moment is what Builder Ledger exists to prevent.

I've seen contractors do $15M a year and not know which jobs are actually making money. I've seen great operators lose real margin because their bookkeeper was keeping clean records of a slow disaster. The controller layer is what stops that — and it's the piece almost nobody has in place at your size.

When you work with me, you're not getting a report service. You're getting someone who has done this job — who understands your PMs, your billing cycles, your surety relationship, and your field realities — and applies that every single month to your specific numbers.

0
Years in Construction Finance
0
Revenue Managed
0
Construction Only
You
Talk Directly to Brian
BH
Brian Harmon
Founder · Builder Ledger
🏗️

Former In-House Controller

I was the controller — not a consultant observing from outside. GC, specialty, mechanical, civil, from $2M to $100M+

📋

Worked Alongside PMs & Estimators

I've reviewed PM budgets, sat in job cost meetings, and worked directly with field supervisors to understand where costs actually come from

🏦

Managed Surety & Bank Relationships

Prepared WIP schedules for bonding reviews and lender packages — I know exactly what they're looking for and what raises flags

🚨

Caught the Problems Nobody Else Did

Labor overruns, billing gaps, under-billed WIP, margin fade — I've found them all mid-job, when there was still time to do something about it

📧 info@builderledger.com · 📅 Schedule a Call
Is This Right For You?

Who this works for —
and who it doesn't.

✅

Great fit if you…

  • ✔Have 2+ active jobs running at any time
  • ✔Already have a bookkeeper posting your transactions
  • ✔Revenue is up but cash flow feels unpredictable
  • ✔Finish jobs unsure where the profit actually went
  • ✔Need a clean WIP for bonding or a bank line of credit
  • ✔Want someone watching the numbers so you can focus on the field
  • ✔Doing $1M–$20M in annual revenue
⚠️

Probably not the right fit if…

  • —You're a solo operator doing one job with no bookkeeper yet
  • —You need day-to-day bookkeeping or data entry
  • —You're looking for tax prep or CPA services
  • —You want a full-time embedded controller on your payroll
  • —You're above $20M with multi-entity complexity (reach out — we scope those custom)
The Real Cost

Why pay $195K+ for a full-time hire
when you can get the same result monthly?

A full-time controller costs $130–160K in salary before benefits, recruiting fees, and months of ramp time. Builder Ledger delivers the same financial oversight — productive from month one.

👤
In-House Controller
Full-time employee
❌$130K–$160K salary before benefits
❌+$40K–$50K benefits, taxes, 401k
❌$25K–$40K recruiting fee upfront
❌3–6 months to ramp up to full productivity
❌Knowledge walks out if they quit
❌PTO, sick days, turnover risk
Year 1 total cost$195K–$250K
📊
Builder Ledger
Fractional · Month-to-month
✅Flat monthly retainer — no salary overhead
✅No benefits, taxes, or 401k
✅No recruiting fee — start in 18 days
✅Fully productive from month one
✅Documented systems stay with you always
✅Cancel with 30 days notice anytime
Year 1 total cost$24K–$42K

Same financial oversight. A fraction of the cost. Onboarded in 18 days — not 6 months. Starting at $2,000/mo.

How We Work Together

What this actually looks like
month to month.

Contractors ask good questions before signing on. Here are the real answers about how this engagement works.

🔐

Do you log into our systems?

Yes — read-only access to your existing software. Procore, Sage, QuickBooks, Foundation, Viewpoint. You don't change anything. I pull what I need, build the reports, and nothing in your workflow changes.

📅

How often do we talk?

Once a month — a 45–60 minute call where we go through everything together. I come prepared with specific findings. You review, ask questions, make decisions. That's it. Most owners spend under an hour a month with me.

👷

Do you work with our PMs?

When it's useful. If a job is tracking off, I'll ask to verify % complete with your PM. I don't run their world — but I know how to read what they're telling the financials, and I'll flag when those numbers don't add up.

📋

Do you build the WIP or review it?

I build it. Every month. Reconciled against your cost data, formatted for your banker and surety. You don't need to do anything — it arrives in your inbox ready to submit.

🗂️

Do you manage our accounting team?

No — your bookkeeper keeps doing their job. I work above that layer. If I spot something in the books that needs correcting, I'll flag it. But I'm not a day-to-day supervisor — I'm the oversight layer that catches what slips through.

⚡

Controller or CFO?

Controller. I'm not here to run strategy or sit on your leadership team. I'm here to make sure your financial picture is accurate, your jobs are tracked, your WIP is clean, and you never get surprised at job close.

From first call to first report
Onboarded in 18 days. Fully productive from month one.
Day 1 · Free Call

We review your books, software, and active jobs. You get an honest read on what's missing. No pitch — just clarity.

Days 2–18 · Setup

Read-only system access. Job mapping. WIP and cash flow templates built. No software changes, no disruption to your team.

Month 1+ · Monthly Rhythm

Reports delivered. Findings flagged. Monthly call. You make decisions with real numbers. Most clients say month one already surfaces something worth fixing.

Simple, Transparent Pricing

Two plans. One decision.

Not sure which fits? The free consultation will tell you in the first 15 minutes.

Essentials
$1M – $8M revenue
Job Profit Essentials
$2,000/mo
$24,000/yr · Save $171K vs. in-house
  • ✔Monthly job profitability review
  • ✔Up to 3 active jobs tracked
  • ✔Profit leaks & red flags identified
  • ✔Cash position snapshot
  • ✔Over/under billing check
  • ✔Monthly strategy call (45 min)
👉 Right for you if you have a bookkeeper in place and want a second set of eyes on your jobs every month.
Get Started →
⭐ Most Popular
Full Controller
$5M – $20M revenue
Full Controller Package
$3,500/mo
$42,000/yr · Save $153K vs. in-house
  • ✔Everything in Essentials
  • ✔All active jobs tracked (unlimited)
  • ✔Monthly WIP schedule reconciliation
  • ✔12-week rolling cash forecast
  • ✔Over/under billing detection
  • ✔Margin fade & risk alerts
  • ✔Bank & surety-ready reporting
  • ✔Monthly strategy call (60 min)
🏆 Most contractors find this pays for itself in the first 60 days.
Get Started →
Enterprise
$20M+ revenue
Custom Engagement
Let's talk
Scoped per engagement · No flat guess
  • ✔Everything in Full Controller
  • ✔Scoped to your job volume & complexity
  • ✔Multiple divisions or entities supported
  • ✔Custom reporting cadence
  • ✔Bank & surety package preparation
  • ✔Priced for the actual work required
📞 We review your setup on the free call and give you a custom quote — no obligation.
Request a Quote →
✔ Month-to-month · No long-term contract · Cancel with 30 days notice · ✔ Onboarded in 18 days · ✔ Direct access to Brian — no junior staff
Interactive Tool

See what a full-time controller
actually costs you.

Drag the sliders to match your situation. See your real numbers in real time.

$5M
$1M$20M
5 jobs
120+
12%
5%25%
Full-Time Controller — Year 1 Cost
$195,000
salary + benefits + recruiting
Builder Ledger — Year 1 Cost
$42,000
flat monthly retainer · no overhead
▲ Your Estimated Year 1 Savings
$153,000
keeping that in your business instead
⚠ Estimated Annual Margin at Risk
$100,000/yr
Fix This →
Based on industry data: labor cost creep accounts for 40–60% of project cost overruns. Without monthly job cost monitoring, contractors typically lose 2+ margin points annually to undetected labor overruns, scope creep, and unbilled change orders. Source: CFMA, Foundation Software benchmarks.
Sample Deliverables

This is what lands in your
inbox every month.

Real formats. Real construction numbers. Not generic charts — the exact deliverables your banker, surety, and project managers will actually use.

Job Profitability Report — May 2026
Brian Harmon · CONFIDENTIAL
Job Name Contract Cost to Date % Complete Est. Cost Final Est. Profit Margin % Status
Civic Center Renovation $1,450,000$448,50038% $1,180,263 $269,737 18.6% ✓ On Track
Hotel Lobby Fitout $680,000$213,00040% $532,500 $147,500 21.7% ✓ On Track
Warehouse Expansion Ph.1 $1,120,000$740,00074% $1,000,000 $120,000 10.7% ⚠ Watch
Medical Office Fitout $920,000$452,00055% $821,818 $98,182 10.7% ⚠ Watch
Retail Strip TI — Unit 4 $310,000$215,00073% $294,521 $15,479 5.0% ⚠ Thin
Office Build-Out Ph.2 $1,200,000$1,010,00082% $1,231,707 ($31,707) -2.6% ⛔ At Risk
PORTFOLIO TOTAL — 6 Active Jobs $5,680,000$3,078,50057% $5,060,809 $619,191 10.9% Mixed
Controller note: Two jobs tracking well above target. Office Build-Out is projecting a $32K loss at completion — labor overrun at 82% complete needs immediate crew review and potential change order. Retail TI margin is dangerously thin with minimal cushion remaining.

Sample report — anonymized data for illustration. Your actual report uses your job names, budgets, and live cost data every month.

WIP Schedule — Over / Under Billing · May 2026
Bank & Surety Ready · CONFIDENTIAL
Job Name Contract Total Billings Cost Incurred % Complete Earned Revenue Under-Billed
(Bill Now)		 Over-Billed
(Monitor)
Civic Center Renovation $1,450,000$590,000$448,50038% $553,468 — $36,532
Hotel Lobby Fitout $680,000$235,000$213,00038% $258,643 $23,643 —
Warehouse Expansion Ph.1 $1,120,000$780,000$740,00079% $881,702 $101,702 —
Medical Office Fitout $920,000$390,000$452,00057% $523,069 $133,069 —
Retail Strip TI — Unit 4 $310,000$188,000$215,00076% $234,683 $46,683 —
Office Build-Out Ph.2 $1,200,000$920,000$1,010,00086% $1,034,286 $114,286 —
TOTALS $5,680,000$3,103,000$3,078,500— $3,485,851 $419,383 $36,532
⚠ Controller finding: Portfolio is net under-billed by $382,851. Medical Office Fitout and Office Build-Out are the most urgent — combined $247K under-billed. Submit AIA draws this week. This under-billing position will show as a red flag on your next bonding review if not addressed.

Sample report — your WIP is reconciled monthly and formatted for direct submission to your bank or surety.

12-Week Cash Flow Forecast · May 2026
Wks 1–5 Actual · Wks 6–12 Forecast · CONFIDENTIAL
Weekly Net Cash Flow — Green = positive · Red = outflow · Faded = forecast
Net positive
Net negative
Faded = Forecast →
Category Wk 1Wk 2Wk 3Wk 4 Wk 5Wk 6 ›Wk 7 ›Wk 8 ›
AR Collections$280K$320K$195K$410K$350K$380K$290K$420K
Draw Requests—$185K——$220K—$165K—
Total Inflows$280K$505K$240K$410K$570K$435K$455K$420K
Payroll & Labor$185K$185K$185K$185K$185K$185K$185K$185K
Subcontractors$95K$110K$87K$142K$98K$115K$103K$128K
Total Outflows$350K$361K$355K$386K$358K$372K$355K$393K
Net Cash Flow ($70K)$144K ($115K)$24K $212K$63K $100K$27K
Closing Balance$214K$358K$243K$267K$479K$542K$642K$669K
Controller note: Cash position improves significantly through the forecast period. Week 3 dip ($243K) is manageable — driven by delayed draw on Medical Fitout. Recommend submitting that draw in week 2 to avoid the trough. Opening balance $284K is adequate but tight if subs require early payment.

Your actual forecast uses your AR aging, draw schedule, payroll calendar, and sub payment timing — updated every month.

CFO KPI Dashboard — December 2025 (Full Year)
CFMA Benchmarks · CONFIDENTIAL
Gross Margin %
29.3%
✔ Benchmark ≥15% · YTD 27.9%
EBITDA Margin
19.5%
✔ Benchmark ≥8% · YTD 16.3%
Current Ratio
1.67x
✔ Benchmark ≥1.5x · Healthy
AR Days (DSO)
24.7
✔ Benchmark ≤45 days · Strong
Backlog / Revenue
0.58x
⚠ Benchmark ≥1.5x · Needs work
Net Profit Margin
18.8%
✔ Benchmark ≥5% · Strong
Debt-to-Equity
1.42x
✔ Benchmark ≤2.0x · Acceptable
Working Capital
$2.16M
✔ Positive · Strong liquidity

All benchmarks are CFMA construction industry standards. Your dashboard is populated automatically from your monthly financials.

Monthly Findings & Action Items — May 2026
Brian Harmon · CONFIDENTIAL
Office Build-Out
Projecting $31,707 loss at completion. Labor running 21% over budget at 82% complete. Review crew schedule immediately. Submit change order for scope additions or reduce remaining labor. This job will close in the red without action this week.
🔴 Urgent
Medical Office
Under-billed by $133,069 — 57% complete but only billed 42% of contract. Submit AIA draw immediately. This is the largest billing gap in the portfolio and will show on your next bonding review.
🔴 Urgent
Warehouse Exp.
Margin has compressed from 14% at bid to 10.7% at 74% complete. Labor overrun is the driver. No immediate action — but monitor closely. Another 2-3 pts of compression and this moves to urgent.
🟡 Watch
Retail Strip TI
Margin at 5.0% with only $15K profit cushion remaining at 73% complete. Any surprises in final 27% eliminate profit entirely. Confirm scope is locked — no further subs or materials without a change order.
🟡 Watch
Civic Center
Performing well at 18.6% margin, 38% complete. Over-billed by $36,532 — cash collected ahead of work. Monitor billing schedule and confirm % complete with PM before next draw.
🟢 On Track
Hotel Lobby
Strong at 21.7% margin. Under-billed $23,643 — submit next draw on schedule. Best performer in the portfolio this month.
🟢 On Track
"This page is what most contractors read first. Every finding is specific, actionable, and tied to a dollar amount — not a summary of what happened, but a clear instruction on what to do this week."

Sample findings based on hypothetical job data. Your monthly action items are based on your specific jobs, budgets, and live billing position.

FAQ

Straight answers to real questions.

Do you replace my bookkeeper or CPA?

+
No — I work alongside both. Your bookkeeper handles day-to-day transactions. Your CPA handles taxes. I focus on job profitability, WIP accuracy, and financial control — a completely different layer that neither covers monthly. Think of it as the missing middle.

What if my books are a mess right now?

+
That's completely normal — and it's why most contractors reach out. I work with what you have and identify where things are off. Messy books aren't a barrier to starting; they're usually the reason the engagement pays off quickly. I'll tell you exactly what needs to be cleaned up and help you prioritize it.

How much of my time does this take each month?

+
Most clients spend 45–60 minutes per month reviewing findings with me. I do all the analysis, build all the reports, and come to the call prepared. You review, ask questions, and make decisions. That's it.

Is there a long-term contract?

+
No long-term contracts. I earn your business every single month. Give me 30 days notice and you're done — no questions, no penalties. Most clients stay because the first 60 days surface something that pays for the rest of the year.

What software do you work with?

+
I connect directly to Procore, Sage 100, Sage 300, Plexxis, QuickBooks, Foundation, and Viewpoint. You don't switch anything — I pull read-only access to your existing data and build reports on top of what you already use.

How fast can we get started?

+
Most clients are fully onboarded within 18 days of signing. There's no long ramp-up — I'm productive from month one, not after six months of "getting up to speed" like a new hire would be.

What size contractors do you work with?

+
My sweet spot is $1M–$20M in annual revenue — general contractors, specialty contractors, mechanical, electrical, and civil. At this range you have real job complexity but no full-time controller yet. That's exactly the gap I fill. If you're above $20M, reach out — I handle those engagements on a custom-scoped basis.
Free Consultation · No Obligation

Most contractors find something
worth fixing in the first 45 minutes.

Book a free consultation. I'll look at your jobs, your WIP, and your cash position — and tell you honestly what I see. No pitch. No commitment. Just a clear picture of where you actually stand.

✔No credit card
✔No commitment
✔No contract ever
✔You talk directly to Brian
Book My Free Consultation → Review Plans First
Month-to-month · Cancel anytime · Plans from $2,000/mo
Free Consultation with Brian$1M–$20M contractors · Month-to-month
Book Now →